Shock absorber for automobiles



July 31, 1923. 1,463,660

A. D. PIDGEON SHOCK ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Jan. 26, 1922 I'lllllallllllll Patented July 31, 1923.

UNITED s'ra' ras.

PATENT orries.

ANDREW n. PIDGEO'N, or oHIoAG'o, ILLINOIS.

snoox ABSORBER roa AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed January as, 1922. Serial Nb. 531,859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW D. PiDonoN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Chicago and the State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Shock Absorbers for Automobiles,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theacco1npanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an auxiliary mount for avehicle spring adapted to improve the flexing action of the spring andalso to check and diminish the rebound or recoil effect. It consists ofthe features and elements in combination hereinafter described and shownin the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings F 1' is a view of the front axle and spring of awell-known type of automobile showing a device embodying this inventionas applied therebetween'.

Fig. 2 is similarly an embodiment, but shown as applied to the rear axleand serving the rear spring.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views taken as indicated at the lines 3 and 4respectively on Fig. 1.

The drawing shows in Fig. 1 the front axle 1, the usual transversespring 2, which is'located above the axle and shown, as secured as isusual, to the body 3, of the vehicle. At 4 and 5 are shown the usualhanger brackets, but which for the present purpose have been rotated intheir respective bearings in the axle 1, 180 degrees, so that they nowtrend away-from each other, and the shackles 6 and 7 have beendisassociated therefrom and swung up for connection to the ends 8-8 of aspring 9, whose purpose and action will be hereinafter explained.

The said spring 9 is secured to the axle 1 in any convenient manner thatwill effectively prevent its being'rocked on the axle out of its properplane, such securing means may cated intermediate the brackets 4 and 5but preferably reasonably close thereto so as to co-act with the clamps2121, which are securved or looped parts 11 from becomingdislodged fromits proper position in a be the U-shaped clamps 20, which are loplanecoincident with the axle 1 and the sprlng 2, as would tend to occurunder'sudd'en stress due to overcoming the inertia of the vehicle body,as in starting or stopping.

It will be noticed thatthe' clips 20 and 21 are in horizontal planes,,one below the other, and that the point of suspension for the spring 2by the shackle 6 in a plane above both of these anchoring points, thereby providing a rigid and reliable means of mounting these associatedparts in their x which it may be secured at as many points as prove mosteffective.

As seen in Fig.- 2, theQspring 29 which is secured by clips 41110 therear axle-housing 31 and extending therealong as shown, -ter minates inrather a sharper curve or bend than the front spring 9, which isnecessitated by the relative lengths of the bodysprin 39 and the housing31. Thehousingj 31 is shown as integral with the brake-drum housing 32,to whichis rigidly attached by bolts or other securing means. anupwardly extending anchoring post 33; this post 33 serving as a means ofmounting in a vertical position the upturned portions 34 of the spring29. i

It will "be understood that the main springs 2 and 29 are designed towithstand" a maximum load without over-deflection,

that is to still have the capacity of further deflection under suddenshocks as in trav-I qualities: to supply this is one of theob jects ofthe present invention.

The devices here applied are each made of spring material that willstart to deflect under less load than that required to flex the mainsprings and are so designed that when their capacity is reached the loadthen imposed. will begin to act on the main springs in a well understoodmannenand upon further increment of load theends of the main springs mayeven rest upon the axles, particularly 1n the case of the rear springwhich is subject to a greater variation ofloading. v V

The device applied to the rear springs (see F igf 2) is reinforcedbecause of the above referred to varient loading, by supplying anL-shaped reinforcing strip which is secured in position to the housing31 by the clips t1tl and to the upstanding member 33 by the clips 4242.

Each loop of the spring Q'Sterminates in a, substantially straightportion 4'5, which 7 like the part8 of'the spring 9v is, positioned tooverlie the end ofthe mainspring, thus adding length and resiliencythereto; the end thereof is connected to themaln sprlng.

by the shackles 46,

A further object of this invention is to provide means for snubbing orabsorbing the shock of the rebound of the vehicle following a suddenviolent, extreme defie tion of. the main spring: It will be readily seenthat a superimposed load will operate to open the loops or bends, thatis, causing the ends 88 or 4':545- to approach the axles,v while byvirtue of the form of the loop it is adapted to resistingly operate 'ina reverse direction, the resistanceyieldingly permitting thevehicle-body to rise without experiencing any undesirable definite stop,but gradually 'absorbingthe upward 1110311611- t-um imparted to thevehicle-body, thus relieving the passengers of the disagreeable bouncingaction, to say nothing of racking of the vehicle parts.

It will be seen that devices made accord:

ing to the foregoing constitute inexpensive,

easily applied and thoroughly dependable means of obtaining the endssought, i. e., of

affording easy riding qualities to a vehicle.

I claim: 5 a v I. In an automobile shock absorber and snubber, asupplemental spring introduced between the axle and the main spring ofthe vehicle, said supplemental spring arranged to overlie the axle andcontiguous thereto between two longitudinally separated points ofattachment, two upstanding brackets rigidly associated with the saidaxle, said brackets each ha -'ing an eye, abol t therethrough, said boltarranged to secure a spring-holding clip; said clip being positionedin'a plane'above or vertically removed from the firstmentioned attachingpoint; the supplemental spring extending upwardly from the said bracketsand terminating at a point above both other said providing means for.supporting the main vehiclesprlng. I r

2. In an automobile shock absorber and attachment. points; saidupperinost point

